Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is entangled in three critical but faltering relationships with Hamas, the United States and Israel. How he reconciles them will determine whether Israelis and Palestinians resume talking or fighting in the months ahead.
On Tuesday, Abbas announced that he was disillusioned by more than two decades of failed mediation by the U.S. and would instead seek Palestinian statehood at the United Nations Security Council. If he doesn't win a commitment from the Security Council to end the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem within three years, he plans to bring Palestinian grievances to the International Criminal Court and other global institutions.
The problem is that Abbas lacks the political assets and credibility to get very far with such ultimatums. His most serious immediate problem is his erratic relationship with Hamas, which is riding high in Palestinian and Arab public opinion polls after its performance in the recent battle with Israel. Unless Palestinians unite under his leadership, Abbas will never have the legitimacy to negotiate anything.